


Louder Than The Crack In The Bell

by allonsy_gabriel



Series: Another 51 [5]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr Being an Asshole, Aaron Burr is So Done, Character Study, Gen, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, I Don't Even Know, Introspection, Light Angst, Philosophy, Power of Words, Revolutionary War, Writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-18
Updated: 2019-07-18
Packaged: 2020-06-30 13:49:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19854499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsy_gabriel/pseuds/allonsy_gabriel
Summary: They sneered and scoffed at him, this bastard, this whore’s son, they disregarded him and ignored him and belittled him and pushed him aside, and when all was said and done they claimed responsibility for his achievements.Insisted he owed them, insisted that someday, someday he would miss them, someday he would return to them, to a sinking, sweltering rock in the middle of the sea, stranded and hopeless and unwanted.Alexander hated them.





	Louder Than The Crack In The Bell

**Author's Note:**

> Wow wow wow it's been a while hasn't it? This is really personal (funny how when I get Personal it's also put on Alex; poor dude needs a break), but I Had to write it, so.
> 
> Enjoy, maybe.

On the island, no one listened to him. He spoke a million words in a million ways. He shouted and screamed and cried and whispered and muttered and debated and argued and  _ tried _ . Tried so, so hard to make people  _ listen _ , to make them  _ understand _ .

And no one ever did.

They sneered and scoffed at him, this bastard, this whore’s son, they disregarded him and ignored him and belittled him and pushed him aside, and when all was said and done they claimed responsibility for his achievements.Insisted he  _ owed  _ them, insisted that someday, someday he would  _ miss _ them, someday he would  _ return  _ to them, to a sinking, sweltering rock in the middle of the sea, stranded and hopeless and unwanted.

Alexander hated them.

Or maybe he didn’t. 

Humans, in Alexander’s experience, were not so simple that the breadth of their feelings could be described in a single word.

New York was a miracle.

It was dirty and cramped and loud and absolutely  _ freeing _ . No one in New York cared if Alexander was a bastard, or if he was poor, or if he was an orphan--in New York, only his words  _ mattered _ .

He'd speak, even if his words killed him.

And perhaps they would.

War was coming, and Alexander was far from silent.

He knew how it felt to not be taken seriously, to be treated like a whiny babe, to be tossed around without consideration and left in the corner.

He knew how it felt to shout into the storm.

  
  


“I’d rather be divisive than indecisive,” he spat. “I--People pay attention to divisive, Burr. Besides, nothing is accomplished when the people are silent.”

“This--Hamilton, this isn’t-- _ surely _ you understand this isn’t wise. The British are going to be here, soon, and if they find out you  _ wrote that _ , then--”

“ _ God forbid _ someone know I have  _ opinions _ . Lord help me if someone knew I have  _ thoughts _ and  _ feelings _ and  _ ideas _ \--”

“ _ They’ll kill you _ \--”

“Let them!” Alexander shouted, throwing his quill onto the desk. There was a thud as it landed on the paper, no doubt smearing the ink. “Let them kill me! Better to--better to die because I dared to  _ exist _ , because I said something that made them  _ care _ , than to live as some lesser creature kept alive only because it’s never been capable enough to pose a  _ threat _ \--”

“Alexander!” Burr interrupted. It was the first time Alexander had ever heard him raise his voice. “No one will listen to you if you’re dead!”

Alexander’s jaw clicked shut.

The silence was oppressive.

“I won’t stay quiet,” he finally muttered. “Not after--I can’t stay quiet, Aaron. Not after I spent so long fighting to be heard."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

Burr didn't say a word.

"There's no life in silence," he whispered. "There's no life in being  _ forced  _ silent. I wouldn't--it wouldn't be worth--it couldn't even be called  _ living _ if I decided to be quiet now. People are just now listening. I  _ can't  _ quit."

Burr stared at him for a moment.

"One day, all of this--all of your words are going to get you in trouble," he said.

"And you'll be around to tell me you told me so, I assume?"

Burr didn't smile, just rolled his eyes.

Alexander picked up a new quill.

People were listening, after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you thought, if it pleases you.


End file.
